Man jumps from Romanian parliament balcony

BUCHAREST — A Romanian man was severely injured Thursday after he flung himself from parliament’s balcony in protest at the centre-right government of Emil Boc’s austerity measures, medical sources said.

Mr. Sobaru, an electrician working for public television, suffered several facial fractures but his condition was stable, a spokesman for the emergency hospital in Bucharest said.

Local media said he was protesting at the austerity package adopted in July, which reduced by 15% an allowance aimed at helping his family take care of an autistic son.

The incident took place as lawmakers prepared to start debates on a no-confidence motion tabled by the opposition.

Parliament was suspended for an hour, and the motion was eventually defeated in the absence of opposition MPs.

Prime minister Boc said he regretted the “tragic event”, adding he understood the difficulties facing Romanians at this time of crisis.

The defeat of the no-confidence motion cleared the way for the adoption of a public sector wage bill before the end of the year as the government had pledged to the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the European Union.

Crisis-hit Romania in May 2009 obtained a 20-billion-euro loan from the IMF and the EU in exchange for a drastic reduction in public expenditure.